Today, one of my favorite articles, is from Krishnaraj Iyengar, who has written about happiness, or more specifically how Finland has been named the happiest country in the world second year in a row. What makes its people so happy? And what exactly is happiness?
Are all rebellions of the common individual worthy? What about when in that rebellion the common individual is pitted against the common individual?
Earlier this week, I watched the absolutely amazing, utterly understated Bengali film, “Apish….The Office”, directed by Sudeshna Roy and Abhijit Guha, the movie making duo who, going by their outstanding oeuvre over the years, have mastered the art of telling the subtle stories of everyday lives of everyday people without screaming from the rooftops.
I am genuinely grateful, as always, for the letters and comments, known in common parlance as “feedback”, from our dear readers. They are precious. Their thoughts are insightful and incisive. Sometimes they are supportive of ideas expressed. Sometimes extremely critical.
Today, Sunday, 11 May, is Mothers’ Day. I agree with those who feel that keeping just one day aside, annually, the second Sunday in May, for the celebration of the one individual whom we can take for granted to love us unconditionally is not enough. Every day belongs to our mothers.
On an August afternoon six years ago, I called my good friend Kumar Tiku, author and United Nations project developer who happened to be a displaced Kashmiri Pandit.
I have been to Murshidadab and Malda many many times as a reporter covering various issues, including communal feelings. I have invariably found that the common people do not differentiate between religions and prefer to live harmoniously with each other. In fact, I found that it comes so naturally to them that they don’t even think about it.
As soon as Donald Trump returned to power, he decided to crackdown on illegal immigrants. Not just errant Indians, but “trespassers” from a host of other countries spanning every continent.
But what ARE the roots of evil then and can these be eradicated?
